Abstract: The Surface Transportation Program (STP) provides state governments a unique transportation investment tool, enabling the flexing of program funds to highway or transit projects most appropriate to each state. In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) supplemented STP’s annual appropriation with nearly $30 billion dollars to assist states in covering transportation funding shortfalls. This paper analyzes the outcomes of the ARRA STP funds one year after the implementation of ARRA. The money serves as an opportunity for states to flex additional money to transit, particularly to close operating shortfalls and implement modernization projects. This paper provides an explanation of the extent to which STP funds are flexed on a state-by-state basis, plus policy recommendations to strengthen STP in the next transportation reauthorization bill. It includes an analysis of historical STP spending to determine if, how, and why state agencies flexed more money to transit systems under the stimulus legislation than under a typical year.
Publication Year: 2011
Publication Date: 2011-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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